


the problem with a height difference and a clumsy attempt at a first kiss

by pro_daydreamer



Category: The AM Archives (Podcast), The Bright Sessions (Podcast), The College Tapes (Podcast)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Height Differences, M/M, but then it works, they fail, they try to figure out how to do this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:55:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27547195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pro_daydreamer/pseuds/pro_daydreamer
Summary: I should preface this by saying that I've always imagined Oliver to be a reasonable amount taller than Mark.Anyway, they attempt to kiss for the first time and they are unexpectedly bad at it.
Relationships: Mark Bryant/Oliver Ritz
Comments: 6
Kudos: 15





	the problem with a height difference and a clumsy attempt at a first kiss

**Author's Note:**

> I had an idea in the discord and then I couldn't leave that idea alone so here we are.  
> (this was written far too quickly so there are probably a few mistakes in it)

“You’re saying you have romantic feelings for me? Does that mean you’d want to kiss me?”

“I want to kiss you,” Mark confirms and Oliver grins happily, bouncing a little on his toes.

“Do you, really?” he teases and Mark makes a face at him which only makes Oliver smile wider. In that moment, he’s never looked more beautiful.

“Yes.” Mark pouts a little and loops his arms around Oliver’s neck. Oliver brings his arms around Mark’s waist and pulls him in towards him, making Mark’s breath hitch a little and his heart stutter.

“Better make it good then, Byron,” Oliver says, raising an eyebrow and watching Mark in expectation.

“You bet it will be good,” Mark smirks. As he leans in, he realises that he will have to pull Oliver down a little to actually reach his mouth. He silently curses his genetics but nothing will stop him from doing this.

Mark rises up onto his toes to try and gain a little height, definitely not anticipating for Oliver to lean down at the same moment. 

It’s almost like it happens in slow motion, both of them trying to reach across the gap, and then pain is shooting through Mark’s forehead and a dull ache is settling over his skull as their heads collide together. 

“Fuck,” Oliver says, releasing Mark to clasp a hand to his own forehead and double over. At first, it’s a little concerning and Mark wonders if he’s actually hurt but then he hears Oliver’s breathy laugh and he lets out a sigh of relief.

Oliver stands back up and tries to look at him seriously, putting a hand back on Mark’s waist to try again. Mark tries to keep a straight face as Oliver looks into his eyes but can’t help the bubble of laughter that rises in his chest. He can feel the blood rushing into his face and his whole body is hot and giddy with a mix of embarrassment and joy.

“Nice try, Byron,” he laughs, cupping Mark’s red face in his hands.

“That kind of hurt,” Mark admits and Oliver’s face morphs a little in concern, softening as he sees that Mark is still smiling.

“I should kiss it better then,” he says, brushing the hair back from Mark’s forehead to gently press his lips against the red mark that is likely blooming on Mark’s skin. Mark can feel the tilt of his mouth as Oliver smiles against him and he finds himself leaning into Oliver’s hold without meaning to.

“I didn’t realise there was that much of a height difference,” Mark mutters and Oliver pulls back from him.

“You’re just short,” he smirks, wincing a little as Mark nudges him gently in the side.

“I’m not short, you’re tall,” he responds, waving a hand vaguely at Oliver’s whole body and height. Oliver shakes his head fondly at him, enveloping him in a big hug and crushing Mark against him.

Mark squirms out of his grip and flops face down on the couch, burying his face into a cushion in a futile attempt to hide his burning face from the world.

“That was embarrassing,” he mumbles into the fabric, his voice muffled and indistinct.

“It’s funny,” Oliver assures him and Mark can feel the couch shifting as Oliver sits down beside him.

“We failed so badly,” Mark mutters. “How could we fail so badly? We’re  _ adults _ . We’ve done this before. Not  _ together _ , but  _ separately _ .”

“You were just a little enthusiastic about stretching up to kiss me and you overcompensated,” Oliver says, patting him gently on the back. Mark lifts his head from the pillow and glares at him.

“Hey, you leaned down too, this is not just my fault.” Mark pokes him in the side and Oliver lets out a short laugh, his eyes crinkling up. Mark wants to kiss him so much right then.

“It’s mainly your fault though,” Oliver says, biting back a grin as Mark sits up on the sofa and positions himself to face him.

“It is  _ not  _ my fault,” Mark repeats as Oliver laughs.

“But mostly,” Oliver teases him, pulling at Mark’s hand to hold it in both of his. For a second Mark resists out of protest but finally lets Oliver take his hand and hold it close to his chest. The feeling of closeness floods through him and Mark can’t help but lean in towards Oliver a little more, pulled in by some sense of gravity.

“I hate you,” Mark mutters under his breath and Oliver grins at him again, wide open and happy.

“No you don’t,” he says, dragging Mark towards him by his arm.

“Maybe not,” Mark admits.

“You  _ love  _ me,” Oliver says, bringing one hand up to hold Mark’s face.

“Shut up.”

This time it works considerably better, better than either of them could have expected. Oliver’s mouth is warm under Mark’s and he slides his hands around the back of his neck to keep him in place. Somehow Mark knows he has to hold on to him so he knots his hands in Oliver’s shirt and pulls at him, dragging him as close as he can.

Mark pulls away for a second to steady his heart and Oliver makes a little noise of protest which dissolves into a contented laugh as Mark presses small kisses over his face.

“That was a lot better, right?” Mark asks and Oliver answers by threading his hands through Mark’s hair and pulling him back in.

Mark lets the warm, sunny feeling swell in his chest and feels it push its way out to his arms, his legs and into his fingers as he presses his hands to Oliver’s cheeks. Kissing Oliver makes him feel like he’s made of gold. The way that Oliver’s hands ghost over his skin makes him feel like he’s something precious. 

Mark has never felt so valued. Not just valued for himself at least. Oliver doesn’t love him for his ability, he has no ulterior motive. He is just here, kissing Mark purely because he wants to. The earlier pain is forgotten as Mark gives in completely to the feeling and lets himself simply be kissed.

After a while, Mark breaks away again, his lungs struggling for breath. Oliver is breathing heavily too, his expression dazed and happy as they look at each other.

“I think we’re improving,” Oliver mutters and Mark lets out a breathless laugh, leaning in to press his face against Oliver’s shoulder. 

“Yeah, we are,” Mark mumbles happily. Oliver moves him gently back so that he can look at his face properly.

“Hey, we’ve got so much time to get better.”


End file.
